Finding the motivation to work out is often one of the greatest hurdles we must overcome to live a better and healthier lifestyle. However, the fact of the matter is that exercise isn’t all that fun: not when you’re just going to the gym on your own, that is. To make exercise a little more exciting, here are some fun ways to work out and get back in shape.
Try Out Yoga
While a form of exercise, yoga is often considered more of a meditative practice. Keeping this in mind can help make exercise more enjoyable, as yoga turns a workout into a moment of reflection and relaxation. Many busy adults take up yoga to slow down and clear their heads while still feeling like they’re productive—and they are! Yoga is a great way to burn off some calories, improve your flexibility, and leave you feeling good for the rest of the day. Keep in mind that there is a wide variety of yoga techniques to choose from and find what you like best.
Start a Fitness Challenge
As one of the most common and fun ways to work out and get back in shape, fitness challenges give you an attainable goal to strive toward completing. It’s common for beginners to fitness to set goals that are too lofty and feel too out of reach, so these fitness challenges help avoid that. Furthermore, the idea of a fitness “challenge” makes it seem more like a game. Other participants usually do the challenge alongside you, so it breeds a friendly spirit of competition that acts as a natural motivator.
Temptation Bundling
A term coined by Katherine Milkman, a behavioral economist at the University of Pennsylvania, temptation bundling is when you combine something you enjoy with something you dread. For instance, the most common form of temptation bundling in exercise is listening to music as you work out. Other ways you can make use of this method are putting on an audiobook and going for a walk or doing wall sits when your favorite TV show starts. Find ways to combine your hobbies and interests with exercise so that it becomes more desirable.
